MovieChat Forums > David Cronenberg Discussion > Can’t wait for Crimes Of The Future

Can’t wait for Crimes Of The Future

posted 2 years ago by Drooch (5333)
29 replies | jump to latest

There are so few directors that get me excited, and sadly those who still can are now well into their 70’s. Sadder still, Cronenberg has found it all but impossible to get films made in the present day film industry which is hostile to anything that isn’t a gigantic CGI-filled blockbuster and/or insufferably woke.

But thank god here we are and Cronenberg has been able to squeeze out (I’m guessing) one more film, and from the trailer it looks as provocative and intelligent as you’d expect from Old Croney. Not only that, it’s a return to his body horror sci-fi roots - something he hasn’t really dabbled in since The Fly nearly forty years ago!

Rumours are that the final sequence, which involves the gory removal of mutant organs, will have audiences fainting and running out. It’s about time cinema became exciting and dangerous again, after so much bland, low-IQ garbage.

Viggo and a pretty impressive cast, including Léa Seydoux and Kristin Stewart should bring in the punters, and if this makes some dough then we could see a couple more projects from the great man. Here’s hoping. I’ll certainly be buying a ticket to this one 🎟

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

Sounds awesome!!!!

p.s. Don't forget eXistenZ (1999). That was pretty cool as well. 👍👍

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

eXistenZ was great but I wouldn’t class it as Body Horror, it’s relatively mild in that department. It leans much more psychological and philosophical, dealing with virtual realities like Videodrome (and indeed Crimes Of The Future).

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

eXistenZ has some definite body horror elements to it. Granted, they're mild compared to some of his other movies, but it's definitely included in this too.

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

All his films do to some degree (possibly excepting A Dangerous Method) but nothing has been squarely in that genre since The Fly.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

Several of DC's movies have no body horror elements.

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

A Dangerous Method has zero, but others have at least some disgusting bodily trauma. Numerous hideous bloody wounds in A History Of Violence, Viggo in danger of getting his cock and balls sliced off in Eastern Promises (plus a couple of graphically slit throats), Pattinson getting anally probed in Cosmopolis and blasting a hole in his hand etc etc.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

I don't consider gunshot wounds/stabbings as the same body horror as his signature stuff that's in The Fly, eXistenZ, Videodrome, Scanners etc....

Here are some I don't consider as body horror:

The Dead Zone
M. Butterfly
Spider
A Dangerous Method
Fast Company

Plus TV movies as well but they aren't worth listing as you couldn't get graphic in TV movies back then.

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

As mentioned, he hasn’t made a body horror film since The Fly, but other than A Dangerous Method there will be some kind of disgusting bodily trauma that makes you wince and recoil because it is handled in a uniquely Cronenbergian way. Action films don’t usually dwell on what a face looks like after you’ve been shot in the back of the head - A History Of Violence rubs your nose in it, as one example.

I haven’t seen M. butterfly or Fast Company so can’t comment on them, but The Dead Zone has someone skewer their brain with a pair of scissors, and Spider has Fiennes trying to cut his wrist with a shard of glass.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

As mentioned, eXistenZ is definitely DC signature body horror. Just not as big as The Fly. In The Dead Zone, yeah dude stabs himself in the mouth and nose but only shows the blood afterward. I don't consider that body horror or any elements in Spider as body horror either. So yeah, he has several movies with none of his signature stuff in it. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

No. eXistenZ is not in the body horror genre, and yes the films I mentioned all contain some degree of Cronenbergian bodily mutilation.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

🤷🏻‍♂️

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[–] ccr1633 (1441) 2 years ago

I share your enthusiasm for the upcoming film. However, I contend that eXistenZ is classic DC "body horror" if Videodrome is. Whether you consider Videodrome body horror I do not know.

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

Videodrome is stuffed with hideous involuntary bodily transformations. Existenz doesn’t really feature these, it’s more of a psychological transformation film with some gross bits.

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[–] ccr1633 (1441) 2 years ago

Ted Pikul's reluctance to be operated on for the bioport was enough for me. He expressed very clearly he was horrified by the idea of having his spine tampered with so that some squishy biopod could alter reality through his central nervous system. What could more qualify as "body horror"? Immediately after he was fitted, Allegra's pod blew a fuse when she tried to plug it into Pikul, sending her into a fit of anger and blaming him for having a newbie neural surge. This is actually something of an inversion of the usual body horror. Here Alllegra is repulsed by Pikul's body and its lack of fitness to enter the brave new worlds of her creation. Later we get Pikul's embrace of the bioport as he, or his game character supposedly, can't resist tonguing Allegra's portal. This is analogous to Seth Brundle's brief embrace of his human fly body parts and new instincts. The alternating revulsion/embrace of the bioport, its infections, its potential as a bridge between game and reality, etc., is all over this film.

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

Yep, as my point has been throughout - most Cronenberg films feature some flashes of body horror but none belong squarely in that genre since The Fly.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

Yup. Lots of gross stuff in EX and VD.

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[–] MartyDeniro (4066) 2 years ago

You still got his son, Brandon. Let's go Brandon.

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

Brandon showed promise with Possessor to be sure. My thoughts on that film here:

https://moviechat.org/tt5918982/Possessor/5ebb86217b239e6f90b5e160/Incredible-truly-incredible-A-delight-from-start-to-finish?reply=60c68fc987bc1c5d9c8e7d04

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[–] Mrmojo4700 (20594) 2 years ago

I haven’t heard of his new film but I did get the Blu-ray of Shivers off eBay recently. I had no idea he was still making movies but I’ll look into this one. Thank you fir posting. 👍

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

He hasn’t for almost a decade because it was impossible to finance anything he wanted to make, but whether it was streaming, or a sympathetic company, or because he’s making something very Cronenbergian and therefore easier to sell, or some combination of those… he finally was able to get something made.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

True. It's sad, he's only put out like 2 movies in the last 10 years.

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[–] Poozer91 (579) 2 years ago

He had trouble getting financing? Granted his films are not the most commercial, but why not go to the people who are financing Terrance Malick. The guy gets the best cinematographers, composers, gets two years to edit his films (two supporting actors died while he was in post-production on his last film), and his films never make money. (Okay, The Thin Red Line did, but that is due to the source material and cast).

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

Malick makes ‘prestige pictures’ that a studio can take to the Oscars. Even though Cronenberg is a top class director, his films are too violent and disgusting to court any fancy awards.

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[–] Poozer91 (579) 2 years ago

Malick use to make prestige pictures. Now he makes pretentious garbage that producers happily throw money at despite not even having a script (I am not joking, since To the Wonder he says he only uses a vague outline and just throws it out in the beginning of filming and shapes the movie during editing). Cronenberg does make more "body horror" or movies built for a specific audience, but he has gone mainstream with A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, which were awarded with academy award nominations and profits.

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[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

Those are the exceptions. Yes, Cronenberg may have dabbled in the mainstream and got a sniff from an award ceremony here and there, and Malick may have pushed his experimentalism too far once or twice, but their reputations are still Cronenberg - body horror gross-out Lord, and Malick - reclusive genius who makes award-winning, critic-pleasuring epic visual poems.

I prefer Cronenberg but I can see why a studio with money to burn would throw it at Malick and try to bag some golden statues.

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[–] Satan2016 (23682) 2 years ago

Red band trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD8dt9ndGgg

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 2 years ago

Word!! It looks like an amalgamation/homage to all of his body horror movies all rolled into one!! 👍👍

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[–] Nanook (1466) 2 years ago

Lucky me, just happened to notice DC's face in trending and decided to click. Thank you. Haven't looked forward to a film this much in a while. Sure he's on your radar, but S. Craig Zahler is a newer writer/director you might enjoy. His three films are all great and not for the sensitive.

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